(Reuters) – Cathay Pacific Airways said it would gradually increase flight capacity in the coming months after the Hong Kong government on Friday lifted a rule requiring crew members to quarantine in hotels for three days after returning to the city.
Onerous crew isolation regulations make scheduling difficult and are a major obstacle to airlines returning to normal operations.
Cathay Pacific carried only
. 4% of pre-pandemic levels in July, despite its cargo capacity of 51%, in part due to Cargo crew no longer needed
Before the cancellation of the crew rule, Cathay Pacific expected to reach pre-pandemic 25% by the end of the year.
Cathay Pacific said it will continue to add flights as soon as possible, but rebuilding capacity will take time as it involves extensive crew training and reactivating aircraft in storage.
“This, combined with other operational complexities, means capacity can only be ramped up gradually over several months,” the airline said in a statement Saturday, which did not provide The latest capacity guidance.
Cathay Pacific has said it plans to hire an additional 4, in the next 18 to 58 Staff to meet operational needs Months of travel rebound, layoffs over 6,000 jobs during pandemic.
Due to onerous quarantine requirements and permanent pay cuts of up to 58%, pilot attrition is higher than normal.
The Hong Kong government on Friday required crew members to remain quarantined in hotel rooms while they were outside the city.
